industrialization produced creation of mass consumer culture: not just buying for need but wants, dramatic impact on women, 30 million cars

social impact of automobile: expanded geographical horizons, means of escape for rural people and city dwellers, idea of vacations

The Man Nobody Knows

by Bruce Barton

portrayed Jesus Christ as a "super salesman"

parables were the most powerful advetisements of all time

prescription for success was how to make friends, be popular, please others

emergence of new vehicles of communication: newspapers, magazines

Mass circulation magazines

The Saturday Evening Post: appealed to rural and small town families, traditionalism

Reader's Digest

Movies and Broadcasting

1927 Jzz singer= first talking film by 1930 100 million watched films

effort to clean up Hollywood after scandal--> new standards

Will Hays= imposed safe filter for movies

radio: Nat'l broadcasting company 1927, filter for radio as well

Modernist Religion

faith that would improve lifestyle became more popular

Harry Emerson Fosdick: fully developed personality= basis of christianity religion became a secondary role in lives

Professional Women

college educated no longer a pioneer movement, remained in feminine fields, most married did not work

motherhood: women should rely on professionals in raising children, middle class women became more involved in husband's social lives, developed by Margaret Sanger (birth control) for women to enjoy sexual activity rather than just procreate

Professional women cont'd

the flapper: became more individual, strove for physical/ emotional fulfillment

lower- middle class/ working: single women--> new jobs in industry, more liberty, most women still dependent on men

Women's rights: Nat'l women's party pressed for equal rights amendment, league of women voters founded after suffrage granted

impact on both blacks and whites but not directly political: raised status of blacks in America

Nativism and the Klan

support of middle class progressives of decrease in immigration

National Origins Act of 1924: emergency immigration act only allowed 3 percent of people from that country, but nativists were not satisfied and pushed for harsher--> Nat'l origins act which banned immigration from East Asia completely

The New Klan

this nativism helped instigate the revival of the KKK

1915, met and revitalized the group

D.W Griffith: movie the birth of a nation glorified the early klan--> southerners to join new one

Klan would devote itself to ridding of the impure alien influences on society

KKK feared anyone who imposed a challenge to to "Traditional Values"

David Stephenson: head of indiana klan kidnapped, raped, and watched a young secretary die after swallowing poison

end of KKK by WWII

Religious Fundamentalism

modernists vs. fundamentalists

Scopes Monkey TRial: American Civil Liberties Union founded in 1920 by Jane Addams, Norman Thomas, Helen Keller decided there needed to be a place that defended freedom of speech and belief

John T. Scopes arrested and the ACLU sent Clarence Darrow to defend Scopes, William Jennings Bryan would argue against him

Darrow called Bryan to stand and forced him to admit that religious dogma was not subject to 1 interpretation